It is known e.g. as disclosed in EP 0225753A (University of California), to generate and sustain a low pressure discharge in a gas by using electromagnetic surface waves. Surface waves are created by an energizer (also known as a launcher) which is positioned around and external of, but not extending the whole length of, a discharge tube containing the gas. In such an arrangement, it is not necessary to provide electrodes inside the discharge tube. The power to generate the electromagnetic wave is provided by a radio frequency (r.f.) power generator and EP 0225753A further discloses a grounded transparent r.f. shield surrounding the discharge tube.
It is envisaged that the radio frequency used can fall in the range of from 1 MHz to 1 GHz. However, in practice, it is believed that the operating frequencies which can be utilised by a discharge tube arrangement for use as a light source will be around 20 MHz, around 84 MHz or around 900 MHz, probably in the range of from 13 to 30 MHz.
It is known to provide a Faraday cage, e.g. a wire mesh, around a structure that is energised by radio frequency (r.f.) power to act as an r.f. screening structure. The size of such a mesh is dependent, inter alia, on the frequency of the r.f. power used and the attenuation in r.f. power emitted that is required. To produce an attenuation of, say, 30 dB at the frequencies of interest, the mesh used would be very fine, with a mesh size of the order of millimetres. This would tend to obscure light from the discharge tube, making the discharge tube arrangement an inefficient light source. A requirement for a higher attenuation to reduce the amount of r.f. interference to comply with international regulations would exacerbate the problem.